Teeny tiny note. For this chapter I researched what colour wolves see. And apparently it isn't black and white like I'd always thought. They see in shades of grey, yellow and blue. So if you have a dog, be sure to get them blue or yellow toys, it makes it easier for them to see.

Hermione could barely remember what happened in the following days.

The wolf inside pushed at her skin with growing insistence as the hours blurred into each other until they became indistinguishable from each other. Every bone in her body ached and seemed to flex at the oddest moments. They would bend at unnatural angles and crack whenever she moved. The skin on her spine pricked ferociously as if a legion of wasps were constantly stinging her flesh. One moment, she felt like she'd been coated in lava, the next dipped in ice. She was in constant pain, no matter how she sat, lay or moved. The others had grown used to her snarled replies whenever they asked if she was okay. In the end, they left her to wallow quite happily in her own misery, numb to everything but her own little world.

The only thing that could hold her attention for any length of time was the moon. She watched it every night through the swaying leaves, drinking in the silver light as it crawled across the sky, slowly growing into a perfectly round disc. She stared so intently and for so long, that when she closed her eyes, she could still see it imprinted on the backs of her lids. A ghost moon constantly watching over her. It became her obsession. A need stronger than any addiction. Even Fenrir and his wandering hands and hungry looks couldn't brush it aside.

Finally, the day arrived that Hermione would change into the wolf or die trying. She wasn't scared or nervous; she didn't have time for those emotions. Instead, all of her focus centred on preventing the scream lodged in the back of her throat from bursting free. She knew if it did, she would never stop, perhaps not even to take a breath. Her body was drenched in sweat, her hair a matted mess that stuck to her skin and refused to move. Several times she was aware of Fenrir pressing rough fingertips against the side of her jaw. But even that barely there touch hurt, feeling like the sharp edge of a blade scraping her skin. Occasionally, he would lean down and murmur meaningless words into her ear, meant to soothe and calm. They were lost on her. The vast intellect she was so proud of fell down the rabbit hole and disappeared in a fog of confused pain.

The hours crawled by. Hermione was shaking and throwing up, folding in half as vicious cramps threatened to tear her in two. Her teeth made a constant chattering sound as they clashed together, nipping the inside of her cheek and cutting her tongue to shreds. The taste of blood trickled down her throat and sat like a stone in her stomach.

Inside her, the wolf was pacing back and forth. It pushed at her bones, pawed at her skin and scratched her heart. It was too much. The pressure built up until she was sure she would explode, ripped into a thousand pieces and scattered around the cage.

Dimly, she was aware of the others pacing and twitching, muttering and gasping. But she paid them no attention, her glassy eyes were fixed on the darkening sky as she waited for her first glimpse of the moon. It came minutes later and it was so bright it burnt her eyes. A bolt of white, hot heat filled her body, snapping her spine straight and head back.

The change had begun.

The caged scream broke free, silencing the forest around them. Her muscles quivered, then shook, then tore, wrenching another scream from her parched throat. Every bone in her body bent, crumpling like wet paper thrown on the floor. Her screams were endless. The pain unbearable. The air froze in her lungs as her internal organs flattened and the muscles holding them in place snapped free. The last thing she heard before her ears filled with blood were the pained shouts of the other wolves as the change tore through them.

She opened her mouth to pull in some much needed air, but the motion dislocated her jaw, making breathing and screaming impossible. Every cell burnt as her skin melted, first into muscle and then into bone, before reforming into something new. Something alien. Hermione wasn't there any more. She was hovering on the edge of a dark pit, surrounded by cotton candy mist.

The wolf was in charge.

Her first tentative sniff brought with it the scent of pack. Of safety, musk and warm fur. She was exhausted, laying on her side and panting moist breaths into the night. Her ears twitched back and forth as a thousand sounds filled her head. The low rasp of leaves rubbing together, sharp nails clicking on wood, branches creaking, the confusing murmur of human voices. All of it crowded together in one continuous streak of sound.

A wet nose touched her neck, burrowing into the fur to sniff at the skin beneath. Her eyes snapped open, a warning growl making her throat vibrate. Above her was a large, grey-white wolf, with amber eyes that burnt into her. She whimpered, instinctively dropping her gaze in a submissive gesture. He huffed out a searing hot breath, darting forward to lick the side of her muzzle.

She felt the human buried deep inside give a relieved sigh that instantly calmed them both. They knew him. Desired and felt safe with him. The fuzziness of the change slowly fell away to leave crystal clear intent. She struggled to her feet, staggering when her legs tangled together. Positioning them where they were supposed to be took forever. They didn't want to carry her weight or move the way she asked them to. Lowering her head, she tried a few tentative steps, managing to make it to the other side of the cage without falling.

The other wolves silently regarded her, each of them recovering from their own change much more smoothly than she was. Once walking became easier, she lifted her head to look past the thick branches that circled the cage, taking in the grey-tinged world around them. The moon bathed everything in a dull yellow light, making the forest look like an old sepia photograph. But her sight was surprisingly good in the darkness. Her eyes were able to peer into the shadows and see what secrets were hidden inside. It was intoxicating. Her senses were overcome with too much sight, and smell and sound. A need to explore flushed through her body until she couldn't remain still any longer. Instead, she began to pace back and forth with the other wolves, their bodies weaving in an intricate dance.

Something rubbed against her consciousness, something that didn't belong but wasn't entirely unwelcome. It wasn't the human trapped inside. She was somewhere deep down, slumbering restlessly in the dark. It was something else nudging and tickling to be let in, tapping insistently on the barriers that circled her brain. Tentatively, she opened her mind and was immediately filled with the feeling of pack. A mixture of warmth, safety and belonging, but she could also sense worry and anxiety as well.

She cocked her head to the side, brushing her face against the chest of the wolf with blazing eyes. The action calmed her growing unease. But only for a second and then the cage felt like it was closing in on her, stealing the air from her lungs and pressing her into a tight ball. She wanted out. A whine crept up her throat to lay like a thick clot on the back of her tongue. When the cage began to lower, white-hot fear knifed through her. The hair on her back sprang up and a low growl made her teeth and jaw vibrate unpleasantly. She pulled in a breath, her nose filtering the hundreds of smells that surrounded them, tasting and discarding until only three remained.

Flesh. Heat. Blood.

Her eyes searched out the smell. Peering through the cage, she saw the Fey standing in scattered clumps, bathed in moonlight that made their skin look yellow. They were dressed in the skins of dead animals, cloaks of fur, pants and tops of butter-soft deer skin. Tiny bones and teeth were sewn into the clothes to make swirling patterns meant to mimic the moon. The wolf lowered her head, every muscle tensed and ready to lunge.

The presence in her head intensified, throwing up images of a dozen wolves waiting behind the one with topaz eyes. She shook her head, trying to dispel the pictures from her brain. It was all so confusing. She sensed danger and the desire to eat was growing stronger with every passing second.

The door creaked open and she flinched. Her body trembled with the need to attack; to rip and tear and taste thick, coppery blood on her tongue. The amber-eyed wolf stepped forward, edging out past the door and amongst the Fey. She followed and the others ghosted around her to do the same.

That was when she saw her. The female with a face like marble and eyes that spat hatred. Inside her, the human stirred to life, reaching up with blunt claws to pull herself up and out of the darkness. She didn't like the female. The wolf could feel her dislike and anger swirling like a ferocious tornado inside the depths of her being.

The female stepped forward, bringing with her the reek of dead things. She smiled, displaying tiny, blunt teeth that shone in the dull light.

"Tonight, we hunt. Go!" Her icy voice cut through the air, slashing it to pieces and leaving a startled silence behind.

The wolf didn't understand the words. They were meaningless sounds linked together to form a garbled noise that made her ears twitch. But her human knew and she didn't like it. The echo of rage filled her soul and her barely held control snapped. She leapt forward, her paws kicking up the damp earth.

"Stop!" the female hissed.

The command had no effect on the wolf. Indeed, she had no idea what it even meant. The female's eyes widened in panic before the wolf collided with her chest. She tried to raise her arms but the wolf snapped forward, sinking her teeth into the soft skin of her neck. Blood welled up, coating her tongue and filling her mouth. She wrenched to the side, tearing the flesh free before swallowing it down.

Around her the air was filled with snarls and shouts. The metallic scent of blood hung like a heavy mist in the air, feeding the frenzy. The wolf bent again, lapping at the oozing wound. From the corner of her eye, she watched as the female moved her hand to her waist, thin fingers reaching for a… something. It was long, sharp, and stank of silver.

The human inside her thrashed in alarm, pushing against the quicksand darkness while screaming nonsensical words. As the wolf eyed the object that had her human in such a frenzy, her hackles rose. Faster than thought, it flashed towards her, cutting a line of heat across her shoulder and back. Skin split as her yelp cut through the chaos. She stumbled back, her legs catching on each other and toppling her to the ground. Whimpering, her pained sounds grew louder as the human inside her screamed and screamed and screamed.

It hurt. The gash stretched wide with every breath, causing tar-thick blood to ooze from the wound and clog her fur. Her eyes blinked open, falling on the female who was struggling to her feet. One hand was pressed to her neck, the other held the weapon that was sharper than teeth. She stepped forward, weapon raised, eyes spitting death. But then a flash of light grey knocked the female to the ground. She landed with a thud. The topaz-eyed wolf was on top of her, his jaw clasped around her face while his teeth dug in to tear the skin free.

The female shrieked as her weapon moved towards his unprotected ribs. The human inside pushed, forcing the wolf to move forward. Her teeth snapped around the females wrist, clamping down and breaking the bones with a dry crack. Her eyes flicked up, meeting sunlit amber.

They continued to stare at each other as he tore the female's skin from her face, swallowing it down in one bite before he moved down to rip out her throat. He ate that too, tossing a bit towards her before he came around to sniff at her wound. She growled a warning which he ignored in favour of gently lapping at the cut. When he deemed it to be clean, he moved away, circling the clearing to check on the others.

The wolf lowered her head to her paws, watching the wolves tear apart and feed on the dying Fey. They hadn't stood a chance. Their arrogance had proven to be their biggest weakness.

She felt the human inside give a sigh of relief before once again settling into the darkness. The night was hers now. The moon was her sun. At least until tomorrow. Then she would be the one hiding in the dark once more.

The End (maybe)

A massive thanks to each of you who has read, reviewed and added me to their various lists. It has truly meant the world to me. Writing is a lonely and time consuming business and at times it's hard to find the motivation to continue. Your reviews (the only payment I'll receive from sharing this piece with you) are what keep me and other fanfiction writers going. So please, please review anything you read.

Annnnd the final words are to my excellent beta Catherine Morgenstern who offered endless support and time to help me with this fic. YOU. ARE. THE. BEST. (Seriously, I couldn't have done it without you. Mwah)